


what could have been

by anxiousroses



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Fluff, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-21 01:03:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14905538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anxiousroses/pseuds/anxiousroses
Summary: The story of how a bright four year old brings two old lovers together.





	1. Prologue

Betty opened her eyes reluctantly as she felt her daughter crawl up the expanse of her bed.

"Mommy! Good morning!" The little girl smiled a toothy grin and Betty sat up slightly, kissing her soft cheek.

"Hi, baby, sleep well?" Carly nodded her head, causing her messy fringe to bob along with her head. Betty pulled her daughter down to her chest and held her for a while, listening to the child's quick breaths.

In moments like these, Betty felt like she could never want to be anywhere else than right there, right then. Her baby girl curled up in her arms, her blonde waves tickling Betty's chin and her tiny hands tugging at her shirt.

"Is Aunt Veronica up yet?" Carly raised her big blue eyes to her mother's green ones and shook her head.

"Do you want me to go wake her, Mommy?" There was a hopeful look in the young girl's orbs and a pleading pout on her lip.

"I have a better idea. Why don't you help Mommy make some pancakes?" There was a slight look of disappointment that crossed Carly's features but was soon replaced by a wide grin and a mischievous glint in her sparkling eyes.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Carly flew up and practically jumped off the bed and into the living room-kitchen.

When Veronica walked out, she couldn't help but smile at the sight of the mother and daughter giggling while messily making breakfast.

Carly's blonde bangs littered with pancake crumbs and her short arms smeared with chocolate.

Betty had chocolate on her nose and flour all over her face, her sleeves were rolled up and there was pancake mix in tiny splatters along them.

The raven-haired woman walked up to the pair and gave Carly and kiss on the cheek, the little girl's familiar scent of coconut and strawberries filling the air around her.

"Can I help?" She asked hopefully. Carly looked at her mother and Betty laughed and nodded, making space for her best friend to join in.

To an outsider looking in, it looked as though the extensive arm of regret and sorrow had never reached this house.

Three carefree girls, baking away on a Saturday morning, giggles and shrieks filling the pancake-scented air.

It was domestic and loving.

But things can change in a heartbeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the prologue. I’ve had the idea for this story in my head for a while and I’m happy to get to share with you. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this.


	2. Accident

Jughead paced nervously back and forward in the dark trailer. His long fingers couldn't help but run through his smooth, black waves.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, Jughead rushes to the door and opened it in a rush.

"Well?" Toni stood there, expression blank as she pushed past him and into the trailer. He closed the door and turned to face her.

"You got it, Jug. You're going to be a published author!" The pink haired girl spotted a wide, proud grin and he couldn't help but smile himself.

Out of nowhere, Jughead's phone began buzzing in his jean pocket. He pulled it out and found his best friend's name on the screen.

"Did you tell Archie already?" He asked surprised. Toni's brows furrowed and she shook her head. "I haven't told anyone but you yet." Jughead raised his brows and swiped the green button, bringing his phone to his ear.

"Hey Arch, everything okay?" He heard shuffling and commotion in the background and wondered where the ginger could possibly be at this time of night that would cause so much racket.

"Jug, listen, something happened..." Jughead's eyes widened. "What is it, Archie, are you alright, is it Ronnie?" Panic flooded his veins.

"No, we're both okay, fortunately. Jughead, it's Betty." And just like that, the wind was knocked out of Jughead's lungs as he struggled to keep up with Archie's rambling, only catching the word accident and hospital.

"Ronnie already sent Smithers to pick you up... You're in your trailer, yeah?" Jughead nodded, before realising Archie could t see him. "Yeah, yeah I am. But, Arch, why do you need me there, I'm willing to bet I'm the last person she'll want to see." Archie took a deep breath.

"It's complicated. I'll explain when you get here. Just wait for Smithers. Okay?" Before he got a chance to reply, the line went dead.

"Everything okay?" In the panic, Jughead had almost forgotten that Toni was still there. "It's Betty, she got in an accident... a-and Archie needs me there so he- or Veronica- sent Smithers, he should be here any second." Toni placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, Jug. Just calm down, I'm sure she's fine." There was a honk outside and Jughead almost jumped out of his skin.

"You'd better go." He gave her an apologetic smile, or tried to, and spring out the door, quickly making his way to the long, black car and entering without a second thought.

The ride to the hospital seemed to be the longest ride Jughead had ever experienced, even though it was a short hour and a half drive to New York from Riverdale.

Once inside the hospital, it didn't take him long to spot his ginger and dark haired friends. "Jug, hey." Archie came up to him and lead him to the side. Jughead barely registered Veronica sitting with a little girl.

"Is Betty okay? What happened? Is it bad?" His mind was racing a mile a minute. "She's in surgery. They couldn't tell us more. Apparent she got ran off the road by a drunk driver. She's supposed to be in surgery till morning." Jughead let out a deep sigh. At least there was hope.

"Listen, Jughead, the reason we had to get you here is because..." Archie's eyes shifted to the side before meeting his again. "Because what, Arch?"

"You see that little blonde girl with Ronnie, over there?" Jughead's head turned to see the most adorable girl he'd ever seen, besides Betty of course.

"Yeah?" He was unsure where Archie was going with this.

"That's your daughter."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you’re enjoying the story. I’m sorry that this was so short but I just felt like this ending captured the essence of the suspence better.


	3. Penguins

"That's your daughter."

Jughead felt like he was going to collapse. His daughter. Jughead Jones had a daughter.

"B-but how... how is that possible?" He tacked his brain for an answer, a puzzle piece that would solve this riddle.

"Four years ago, when Betty left for New York, she was pregnant. She didn't have the courage to tell you before she left, so she didn't." Jughead couldn't believe this. For four years he had had a daughter he didn't even know existed. Quickly, surprise was replaced by anger.

"You knew? All this time you knew I had a child and you didn't tell me?" He fumed at the red head.

"Betty begged me not to, but I did want to, I tried to for God's sake. But every time I mentioned her name you immediately shut me down. So I just stopped trying." Jughead took a step back, the information hitting him all at once. Silence fell between them as he processed.

"Jug, with Betty in the hospital,you're technically her legal guardian. At least until Betty's back on her feet." He couldn't believe this was happening. He looked to the side once more and examined the little girl, his little girl. She had gorgeous blonde curls, just like her mother.

"How am I supposed to look after her Arch? I don't even know her name." He sighed, the reality of his situation almost too overwhelming.

"Carly-J Cooper. We call her Carly though." Carly-J. What a perfect name. A strange feeling took over him as he once again looked at his daughter.

"Listen, she can't be here all night, if you could just take her home for a little while, Ronnie can give you the keys to their apartment and you can take my car. We just don't think that this is the best environment for Carly right now." Jughead mulled over the suggestion.

"But what about Betty?" He frowned. "We'll stay here and call you if there are any news." Jughead nodded, but doubts still clouded his mind. "What if she doesn't want to... you know... go home with me, she doesn't know who I am." The thought of Carly rejecting him was terrifying.

"Don't worry about it." Before he knew it, Jughead was being led to his daughter. "Hey munchkin, I have some news." Archie crouched down to level with Carly. Veronica smiled sympathetically at Jughead.

"This is Jughead." He watched as Carly's face went from confusion to understanding to curiosity.

"You're Jughead? You're hair's not blonde." Jughead furrowed his brows, why would she think he was blonde?

"No, I'm not." She looked him up and down with that traditional Cooper stare and he found himself squirming under her examination.

"Mommy says I remind her of you but you don't look like me." Archie frowned before ruffling the tiny girl's hair.

"Munchkin, why don't you let Jughead take you home?" Veronica extends out her hand, a set of keys lying on her palm.

"But what about Mommy? I want Mommy." Carly started to get upset and tears sprung to her forest green eyes.

"Hey, hey, hey. We'll come and see Mommy in the morning. Listen, if you come with me I'll let you watch whatever you want on my phone in the car. And you can have ice cream for breakfast tomorrow morning." He had whispered that last part in the little girl's ear and she quickly recovered.

"If there's any news, call me, no matter what time it is." He directed the statement at Archie and Veronica before taking Carly's little hand and leading her out of the hospital.

"That's Uncle Archie's car." Jughead nodded and admired the little girl's ability to remember  the car, noting that most of the cars surrounding it looked exactly the same.

"I'm borrowing it for tonight, to get us home." Carly shrugged and climbed into the car. As soon as she was inside, she straightened out her dress and put on her seatbelt. Jughead shook his head lovingly at how much she was like her mother.

He went around to the other side of the car and jumped in. The small blonde was looking up at him expectantly, a chubby hand opened in front of him, opening and closing it.

"What?" He tried to maintain a serious face. "Your phone. You promised." He chuckled lightly at her expression and pulled out his phone from his pocket.

"What do you wanna watch Carly?" She brought her finger up to her chin, comically thinking.

"Mommy says you can't get it on a phone because it's only on TV but I like Animal Planet." Jughead unlocked his phone and went on YouTube.

"Of course you do." He remembered when Betty herself was around Carly's age. She always persuaded the boys to watch Animal Planet on TV and would often state facts she had learnt from it randomly. Her favourites were penguins.

"Here." He had found a penguin documentary on YouTube and decided it was perfect for Carly.

"Thank you, Jughead." She settled back and looked intently to his phone. Jughead started the engine and started driving. They drove in silence, the only sound coming from his phone.

"What's your favourite animal?" He looked over but the girl was sound asleep. The car stopped at a red traffic light and Jughead reached for his phone, prying it carefully from Carly's hands.

When he reached the apartment, Carly was still asleep so Jughead collected her small body in his arms and carried her inside, fumbling a little bit with unlocking the door.

Once in the apartment, Jughead couldn't help but take a look around the place where his daughter and her mother had been living.

It was a nice place, cozy and just the place he could envision Betty living in, he had once imagined it would be a place like this where they would both live but that was a long time ago.

He looked around for Carly's room and spotted a door that had a tag saying Carly-J. He went in and took in the boxes of toys and shelves of books. It was perfect.

Carly began stirring in his arms as Jughead went to lay her down onto her tiny bed. "Mommy?" Her voice was delicate and light.

"No, honey, it's Jughead." Her eyes fluttered open and she looked confused for a few seconds.

"Can I sleep in Mommy's bed. Please Juggie." Jughead instantly melted at the nickname. The only person he had ever allowed to call him that was Betty, and now Carly.

"Yeah, of course." She settled back in, her head resting on Jughead's chest. He walked back out to the hallway and found Betty's room. Recognising it by the light pink covers and the smell of vanilla and strawberries. It was tidy and there was a picture of Carly on one of the bedside tables.

Jughead placed Carly carefully under the comforter. He bent his knees and got down to look at his daughter.

His daughter.

He still couldn't believe it. Her face was so serene while she slept and all he could see was Betty. Her chest lifting up and down as she breathed calmly.

He tugged a loose strand of Carly's blonde hair behind her ear and placed a gentle kiss on her fragile blushed cheek.

He then stood up and headed out the door, intending to go and sleep on the couch.

"Jughead?" Carly's soft voice came from behind him. He turned around and walked up to her.

"What is it Carly?" She looked sleepily at him. "Will you stay? Mommy always lets me sleep with her when I'm sad or scared. Please?" Jughead couldn't resist it and so he went to the other side of the bed, took off his boots and socks and pulled the covers back, settling into the bed.

It smelled just like Betty, the same smell he remembered, it was all around him and even felt slightly overwhelming, bringing back memories he had done his best to push back.

It was then that, for the first time, it hit him that Betty was probably lying on a hospital bed at this very moment, maybe even having surgery, tied to a machine to make sure she was still alive.

He let himself cry, tears flowing uncontrollably. He did his best to be quiet but Carly seemed to sense it as she turned around and huddled into him, curling up beside him.

He squeezed her little body and accepted his daughter's comfort, falling asleep with tears still streaming down his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I hope you’re enjoying reading this as much as I’m enjoying writing it. I might not update for a little while because I’m currently away on holidays and moving from place to place, but we’ll see. Lots of love coming your way.


End file.
